Arrived safe, but very sick and wearied at half past 12: all right; Anne busy cleaning the dining-room. A Pamphlet, a Book-Parcel
(which proved to be the Library Books from Geraldine), a Letter about Poet Thom's widow;1 these, with the due Newspapers, were all that had arrived. Cards from Farey, from John Fergus (2), and from Mrs Wedgwood
(I suppose with Darwin).2 That was all.— I instantly stripped for a bath; have since sat with blinds down, in nearly perfect silence; and read—Newspapers,
mostly, and mad sound and fury from all the four winds. John called about 3 o'clock; “thot the Irish insurrection not unlikely to succeed” (toohoo!),3 smoked a pipe, and “took the road,” little wiser than he came. Dinner was a basin of mutton-broth (falsely called Scotch), with white bread, and four indifferent little carrots. Tea pro formâ, tho' in nearly the usual quantity. It will behove me now to go and walk a little under the mild stars. No fire; fire even
at this hour would be a nuisance. Prospects of a silent night, and breakfast soon after awakening, are decidedly grateful!

Tomorrow the Cap-parcel shall be duly forwarded: meanwhile it has struck me one cap (for your sleeping in tomorrow night) may be decidedly forwarded
under a penny-stamp: so here it goes. May it bring thee a good sleep, poor little Jeannie!— If you tire, come home instantly:
there is a fly to be had at Croydon itself;—or if you send word (and posts go twice or thrice a day), I will bring a Nodes
machine,4 and fetch you at once.5— And O trust in me, my little woman; and know (as one day you yet will) that my affection for you has not altered, cannot alter. And Good night; and God bless you evermore.

1. William Thom (1798?–1848), Scottish poet and weaver, who had died in poverty, Feb., in Dundee; m., 1828. After his wife left him, 1831, he had two common-law wives (the first d. 1840), both called Jean and both had several children. This Jean was from Inveraray, and an appeal on behalf of the destitute
“widow and three children” was launched by George Gilfillan (1813–78; ODNB see TC to JAC, 29 Oct. 1840 and later vols.), author and Presbyterian minister at Dundee, in a letter to the Dundee Advertiser, 29 Feb. The letter referred to requests for support sent to several prominent persons, no doubt including TC. Jean Thom died soon
after William, but a considerable sum was raised for the children; see W. Skinner, “Biographical Sketch,” in W. Thom, Rhymes and Recollections (Paisley, 1889) lxi and lxxii–iii.

3. The insurrection was still to break out; but Mitchel had already declared in the United Irishman, 18 March, that his object “was to sweep this island clear of the British butchers and plant the green flag on Dublin Castle,” and
Gavan Duffy, in the same journal, 25 March, that “the war between the people and their English rulers has begun.”

5. Evidently TC had persuaded JWC to accept an invitation from Lady Harriet to Addiscombe and accompanied her there, presumably
because of her being out of sorts. Amalie Bölte wrote to Varnhagen, 21 March: “I believe that if you imagine Mrs. Carlyle as a passionate nature craving affection who, finding no response, has grown
bitter, you will have the essentials. If earlier on, instead of devoting herself to sentimental soft-heartedness, she had
seized the means to secure respect and friendship, she would have had something, indeed a great deal; but he scorns any weakness,
and anyone showing it him is lost. Nowadays he spends a lot of time in the world; even Lady Harriet, the lady friend, does
not always invite his wife along with him, and Mrs. Bunsen never does. That is England! I wouldn't put up with it if I were
her!” She adds: “Herr Schwabe has arrived from Paris. I was supposed to meet him at dinner … but preferred to go to the Carlyles'”
(Böltes Briefe 60 trans.). Salis Schwabe (1800–1853; ODNB), Manchester calico printer; b. in Oldenburg, N Germany; began commercial career in Glasgow, age seventeen; came to Manchester,
1832, where he created “almost a mine of princely wealth in the textile trade” (Manchester Guardian, 30 July 1853) and took a leading part in public charities. Recently he had accompanied Cobden on his continental tour, and, 30 March, chaired a meeting in Manchester that voted an address of sympathy to the Frankfurt Assembly, giving support for rebels killed
in Berlin and Vienna who attempted to free Germany from “arbitrary rule and degrading subjection.”